cliff, while not something to be encouraged, may not be as bad as many had thought, and, certainly, it is not worth making bad policy that will have m r much longer range -- will have much longer range implications. the second issue, another kind of artificial date has been in law for decades, and congress periodically as a part of debate over whether to extend it. it's app interesting debate. there really is no option. you either extend it or you default. default really shouldn't be an option, and it's something that should be avoided at all costs. we put this quick little date in there so that we can have the debate, have a vote, and then extend the debt ceiling as we know we have to. that's fine we have the issue of the debt and deficit in the long run. the issues of real importance because, one, we don't account for our expenditures the way businesses do, the way individuals have to. we get toking the for -- to account for them and ignore many of the long term implications, and if we put them in, it increases the amount of debt that we owe and have promised dray mat -- dramatica